


(a)stray

by Gilrael



Series: EnnoTana cat-shifter AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Cat Ears, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 01:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16567109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilrael/pseuds/Gilrael
Summary: “You're the prettiest cat, even with tuna smeared around your mouth,” Ryuu sighed, carefully reaching out with the hand that wasn't holding the can of tuna to pet the cat's back. That earned him another glare from the cat, but at least it didn't try to run away.“Do you have an owner or are you a stray?” Ryuu chatted with the cat as it ate. “I wish pets were allowed in my flat. I'd adopt a cutie like you in an instant.”~~~Tanaka befriends a stray black cat. When he notices that it got injured he takes care of Kitty and hopes to adopt it, but he is in for a surprise...A story about a human and a cat shifter falling for each other





	(a)stray

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this one for weeks, and finally, _finally_ , it is done!  
> Also, there's already [fanart](https://gilrael.tumblr.com/post/178413848958/big-servers-overwhelm-me-more-often-than-not-but) for this fic, drawn by the lovely [Anya](http://celadonhearth.tumblr.com/)!

Ryuu loved petting all the stray cats he came across on his way home from work. There was an orange tabby that liked getting its head scratched and a calico that would flop over on her back, exposing her soft belly in an attempt to lure Ryuu in, only to scratch at his hands whenever he fell for the bait. He always fell for the bait. Sometimes, Ryuu would buy a small bag of cat treats on his way out of the corner shop, making use of his employee discount to spoil the neighbourhood cats.

And yet, there was one cat that refused to get close to Ryuu. It usually sat on a garden wall, intelligent yellow eyes following Ryuu's every move as he walked past, but when he tried to reach out to pet it, it would always run away. It was a shame, really, because it had the softest looking black fur Ryuu had ever seen. He had tried to bribe the black cat with all kinds of treats, but it never accepted any of them. It would just look at his outstretched hand, its body language spelling out disdain.

“C'mon,” Ryuu complained as the black cat started licking its paws instead of going for the treats in his hands. “I even bought the good stuff! Just for you!”

The cat stopped licking its paw and turned its gaze back to Ryuu. He'd never seen a cat look so put off in his entire life.

“What _do_ you like?” Ryuu mused. “Maybe I should try bringing canned tuna next time...” Either his eyes were playing tricks on him, or the cat's ears twitched at the sound of the word _tuna_. He tried again. “Tuna? Do you like tuna?”

Something about the cat's posture changed like it was anticipating something.

“Okay, I'll buy tuna next time. But you better let me pet you!”

 

“Don't tell me you're buying that for the cats,” Ukai-san said as he scanned the can of tuna.

“I'm buying it for a very specific cat,” Ryuu replied, slapping down the money on the counter.

Ukai-san sighed and shook his head as he sorted the coins into the cash register, muttering something that almost sounded like “hopeless”. Ryuu wasn't going to argue. It was a little silly of him to be this obsessed with gaining the affection of a random stray.

“Do you need the receipt?”

“Nope, I'm good,” Ryuu said, taking the can of tuna. “See you tomorrow!”

“See you...”

Ryuu left the shop with a spring in his steps. He had a good feeling about this. Today would be the day. Today he was going to pet that black cat!

Today as well, the cat sat on the garden wall, eyes trained on Tanaka as soon as he turned the corner.

“I brought tuna today!” he announced, holding up the can with a grin. And for the first time, the black cat jumped down from the wall and approached him. Ryuu could barely believe his luck. Quickly, he kneeled down and pulled the can open, watching with wide eyes as the cat sniffed at the contents of the can before it started eating.

Ryuu got out his phone and snapped a quick picture to commemorate the occasion. As the shutter sound went off, the cat looked up at him, eyes narrowing briefly before it resumed eating the tuna.

“You're the prettiest cat, even with tuna smeared around your mouth,” Ryuu sighed, carefully reaching out with the hand that wasn't holding the can of tuna to pet the cat's back. That earned him another glare from the cat, but at least it didn't try to run away.

“Do you have an owner or are you a stray?” Ryuu chatted with the cat as it ate. “I wish pets were allowed in my flat. I'd adopt a cutie like you in an instant.”

The cat continued to ignore him until it had eaten the entire can of tuna. Then it licked its little mouth clean and headbutted Ryuu's hand before running off again. Ryuu's heart almost skipped a beat at that show of affection. It seemed like he would have to buy tuna more often now.

 

Over the next couple of days, Ryuu felt like he'd finally managed to befriend the black cat. After a week, he didn't even have to bribe it with tuna anymore for it to allow him to touch it. He still brought tuna now and then, just to stay in the cat's good graces, but something about this felt special. He'd earned the black cat's trust, and as much as he liked petting the orange tabby and the calico, the black cat had truly wormed its way into Ryuu's heart.

As days turned into weeks, turned into months, the black cat would sometimes follow Ryuu down the road to where he lived. It never even tried to get close to his front door, always turning back again before Ryuu walked up the stairs. It was almost like it had remembered how Ryuu had said that pets weren't allowed in his flat.

In general, Ryuu had the feeling that this cat actually understood him. He was probably just imagining things, but sometimes the cat seemed to react to what he was saying. One time when he said that he thought he was coming down with the flu, the cat had rubbed up against his legs as if it was trying to comfort him.

Ryuu had become quite attached to the black stray, so much so that it struck him as very odd when the cat wasn't sitting in its regular spot on the wall one day. Confusedly, he looked around the street, thinking that maybe the cat was around _somewhere_ , but it was nowhere to be found. When it didn't show up the next day either, Ryuu grew concerned. He went around the entire neighbourhood, looking for the black cat until the sun went down.

 

“It's a cat, Ryuu,” Noya-san said, patting Ryuu on the back reassuringly after being told about the disappearance of the black cat. “They roam around a lot. It'll come back eventually.”

It had been three days since Ryuu last saw it. Not knowing if something happened to the cat was robbing Ryuu of his sleep. He'd hoped that grabbing dinner with Noya-san would distract him from his worry, but it wasn't really helping.

“I just want to know that it's safe,” Ryuu mumbled, staring into his empty ramen bowl.

“If you really like that stray so much, why haven't you adopted it?” Noya-san asked before lifting up his bowl to drink the rest of the broth.

“First of all, I don't know if it's actually a stray,” Ryuu explained. “I'm just assuming because it took ages for it to trust me enough to let me touch it. And I'm not allowed to keep pets in my flat.”

Noya-san hummed in understanding. “I'm sure the cat will be back eventually.” Then he looked at his phone and sighed. “I gotta be off. I have an early shift tomorrow and need to sleep.”

Ryuu nodded and got up. They paid for their meal and said goodbye outside of the restaurant, walking off in different directions towards their flats.

An icy wind was blowing outside, making Ryuu shiver. He regretted not having brought his beanie, but the cold didn't stop him from making a little detour so he would walk past the spot where he usually met the black cat. He wasn't really expecting to see it since it was quite a bit later than usual, but he couldn't help himself. He missed his little friend that seemed to be way more intelligent than the average cat.

When Ryuu turned the street corner, he was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of reflective yellow eyes staring at him.

“You're back!” Ryuu exclaimed happily, speeding up his footsteps. Unlike usual, the cat wasn't sitting atop the wall, lying on the pavement in front of it instead. Ryuu didn't think too much of it, squatting down so he could pet its pretty little head.

“Where have you even been? I missed you, kitty,” Ryuu said. “Don't go vanishing on me like that! Who's supposed to eat all the tuna I keep buying when you are not around?”

The cat gave a soft purr in response, making Ryuu's heart melt. Ryuu continued to pet it, enjoying how the cat practically leaned into his touch. Anyone who said that cats were cold-hearted had no idea what they were talking about. Ryuu would've loved to stay longer, but just like Noya-san, he had to work tomorrow.

“Well, I gotta leave, little kitty,” Ryuu said, giving it one last scritch behind the ears before he stood up again. “You coming with me today?”

As the cat got off the ground to follow Ryuu, he immediately noticed that something was off. Ryuu stopped in his tracks, keeping a close eye on the cat's gait. It was walking with a slight limp. When it noticed that Ryuu had stopped, it stopped as well, looking back at Ryuu and meowing quietly as if it wanted to ask him what was wrong. As it turned around, it was obvious that it wasn't putting its full weight on its right front leg.

“Oh no, you're hurt, aren't you?” Ryuu asked, leaning down and attempting to pick up the cat. The cat swiftly evaded his hands despite its injury and hissed.

“C'mon, kitty, I just wanna help you,” Ryuu muttered, once again trying to grab the cat. The hissing intensified as it swatted at Ryuu, but Ryuu ignored the claws that scratched at his hand.

“You're a feisty one,” he grumbled when he'd finally managed to lift the cat up. It let out a pathetic meow as if admitting defeat and let Ryuu have a look at its paw. He couldn't see any outward signs of an injury, but he also wasn't all that knowledgeable about cat anatomy. But he knew someone who was. Carefully cradling the cat in one arm, Ryuu pulled out his phone to make a call.

“Yes?”

“Hey, Suga-san! This is Tanaka. I gotta ask you a favour...”

 

“That's one hell of an angry cat,” Suga-san muttered as he and Ryuu tried to hold the cat down on the examination table so Suga-san could take a look at its leg. As soon as the cat had realised that Ryuu was taking it to a veterinary clinic, it had started struggling against his hold again. It had almost managed to escape his grip twice – once as he walked through the door, and once when he tried to pass it to Suga-san.

It took them ten minutes until they finally managed to calm the cat down enough for Suga-san to check whether or not it had a microchip and determine its sex.

When Suga-san announced that the cat was male and wasn't chipped, Ryuu felt a little conflicted. If the cat really didn't have an owner, he could take care of him himself, which was both a blessing and a curse. If his landlord found out about the cat, he'd be done for, but Ryuu also really wanted to take him home with him. Especially now that he needed proper care.

“Hm, I don't think anything's broken,” Suga-san said as he examined the cat's injured leg. “There's only a little bit of swelling... I should probably make some x-rays just to be sure.”

At that, the cat meowed, looking up at Suga-san with accusation in his eyes.

“We're just trying to do what's best for you,” Suga-san said sternly before calling for an assistant to get the x-ray ready.

 

An hour later, Ryuu entered his flat with a borrowed carrier that held a highly disgruntled cat. As it turned out, the cat had a slightly torn ligament that required a splint. Suga-san had said that it would heal quickly as long as Ryuu would put an ice pack on it twice a day and keep the cat inside.

Ryuu knew that Suga-san would have taken care of the cat at the clinic if Ryuu had asked him to do so, but the thought of leaving the little guy with people he wasn't familiar with didn't sit right with Ryuu. So here he was, setting up a litter box and small scratching post in a flat that didn't allow pets.

“Okay, now let's get you out of that carrier,” Ryuu said, opening the top of the carrier so he could lift the cat out like Suga-san had instructed him to do. But as soon as he stuck his hands through the opening, the cat hissed and swatted at him with his uninjured paw.

“Ugh, why are you like this? I thought we were friends!” Ryuu complained, once again ignoring the scratching and biting as he picked up the cat. He carefully put him down on the floor. Immediately, the cat hurried away as quickly as his splinted leg allowed, hiding underneath Ryuu's sofa. Sighing, Ryuu went to his pantry to fetch a can of tuna. It had worked as a bribe before, hadn't it?

“Come out, little guy,” Ryuu trilled, lying down on his stomach so he could see where the cat was curled up. “You're hungry, right? If you come out, you can have some of your beloved tuna!”

At that, the cat opened his eyes and glared at Ryuu who was pulling open the can of fish, but the cat didn't budge.

“If you don't want it, I'll eat it,” Ryuu threatened, making the cat's tail twitch. Staring back at the cat, Ryuu blindly picked out a piece of tuna and ate it. Finally, the cat let out a pathetic little wailing sound and crawled out from under the sofa.

“Ha! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist,” Ryuu said triumphantly as the cat reluctantly came closer until he could stick his nose inside the tuna can.

“Eat, little guy,” Ryuu said, reaching out to pet the cat and pulling back instantly when he reacted with a growling sound. Ryuu sighed. Well, at least he wasn't hiding from him anymore.

“So... What's your name, kitty?” Ryuu asked as he watched the cat eat. He'd avoided calling the cat by a name up until now because he hadn't wanted to get too attached, but at this point, it was too late anyway. “How about Kuro?”

The cat flinched, briefly looking up from his food to throw Ryuu another nasty glare.

“Okay, that would've been cliché anyway.”

Ryuu kept on suggesting names for the cat, but none of them seemed to please him. When the cat licked the last bit of tuna out of the can, Ryuu gave up.

“Fine, guess I'll just have to call you Kitty then.”

The cat blinked at him and then leaned forward to lick a stray piece of fish off Ryuu's thumb. His tongue was coarse, but Ryuu was glad the cat didn't seem to be mad at him anymore. Kitty then sprung up on the sofa, lying down on one of the cushions.

Having a quick look at the clock, Ryuu realised that he had to get up for work seven hours, and he still hadn't gotten ready for bed yet.

“The things I do for you, Kitty,” he sighed as he went to the bathroom.

 

Something warm and heavy was weighing down Ryuu's chest as he woke the next morning. Groggily, he opened his eyes to find Kitty curled up and sleeping on him. The sight was almost too much for Ryuu's heart. When he'd gone to bed the night before, Kitty still hadn't allowed him to touch, evading his hands every time Ryuu reached out for him.

“I am truly blessed,” Ryuu whispered, carefully petting Kitty's head. The cat let out a little _mrrp_ sound as he slowly opened his eyes.

“Good morning, Kit– _oof_!” The cat immediately stood up and jumped off of Ryuu, giving his ribcage a clumsy kick in the process. “Kitty! You're supposed to rest your leg!”

 

Over the next couple of days, Ryuu got used to his new routine with Kitty. It took a while to figure out which cat food the little guy actually liked (Ryuu couldn't just feed him tuna all the time, could he?), and it wasn't easy to keep Kitty still while icing his leg, but waking up with a warm cat in his bed every morning was like a dream come true for Ryuu.

When Ryuu told Noya-san about how Kitty had started greeting him at the door whenever he came home from work, Noya-san started laughing.

“God, it's almost like you're gushing about a new girlfriend or boyfriend instead of a cat,” Noya-san teased.

“God, I wish,” Ryuu sighed. It had been ages since he'd last had a relationship. He was mostly fine with being single, but it did get lonely sometimes. “At least I have a cuddly companion now.”

“Are you going to keep the cat then?” Noya-san asked, sipping at his beer.

“I mean... He's not chipped and doesn't have an earmark. And Suga-san put up a poster in the clinic, but nobody has called him about Kitty yet as far as I know,” Ryuu said, folding and unfolding the paper napkin lying in front of him. “I don't really have the money to move to a flat that allows pets, though.”

“I'm sure you can find something cheap,” Noya-san assured him.

 

After two weeks, it was time for an appointment at the vet. Kitty obediently climbed into the carrier and didn't kick up a fuss when Suga-san removed the splint so he could take another x-ray.

“Is this even the same cat?” Suga-san asked as his assistant took care of the x-ray.

“I think he knows that it'll be over quicker if he doesn't fight us,” Ryuu said.

All of a sudden, Suga-san's eyes went wide. His head whipped around to where Kitty was being examined. He muttered something under his breath that sounded like “he knows!”

“Is everything all right?” Ryuu asked, frowning at his high school senpai.

“Uh, yeah, everything is fine,” Suga-san said hastily. “Let's have a look at those x-rays, shall we?”

As Suga-san compared the x-rays from two weeks ago with the new ones, Kitty jumped onto Ryuu's lap with ease. Ryuu immediately started petting him, paying extra attention to the spot behind his ear that Kitty liked so much.

“All in all, the ligament has healed quite well,” Suga-san concluded. “You should still keep an eye on him for the next couple days, but he doesn't need the splint anymore.”

“Has anyone called you in response to the posters?” Ryuu asked, worrying that maybe he'd have to give up on adopting Kitty.

“Er, no,” Suga-san said, looking at Kitty, who was now curled up in Ryuu's lap. “Do you want to... er... adopt him?”

Something was off about Suga-san's tone of voice.

“Shouldn't I?” Ryuu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Suga-san chuckled nervously. “Ah no. You can adopt him. If he lets you.”

Ryuu wasn't sure what to make of that last comment, but maybe Suga-san was still remembering the first time Ryuu had brought Kitty to the pet clinic.

“He probably needs a bunch of vaccinations and stuff, right? Also, how much will it cost to get him fixed?”

Suddenly, Ryuu could feel a set of very sharp claws dig into his thighs, making him yelp. Damn, Kitty really seemed to dislike where this conversation was going. Not that Ryuu could really blame him.

Suga-san let out a choked sound that quickly devolved into a coughing fit. Once he had himself under control again, he took a deep breath. “Er, I'd suggest you keep him as an indoor cat. You won't have to get him fixed then, and it'll be safer for the cat as well. Cats who roam around tend to die younger than indoor cats, you know?”

“But what if he accidentally gets out or something?”

“Er, how about we make an appointment for his vaccinations and talk about the details of getting him fixed then?” Suga-san suggested. Kitty hissed at that statement, burying his claws even deeper in Ryuu's flesh.

“Hnggg, okay,” he winced, lifting Kitty off of his lap. “I'll have to check with Ukai-san about my schedule next week, so I'll contact you tomorrow to make an appointment. I'll bring back the stuff I borrowed from you then as well.”

“Sounds good to me,” Suga-san said, petting Kitty one last time before he helped Ryuu with putting him back in the carrier.

 

As soon as they were back home, Kitty went straight for Ryuu's unmade bed, curling up on his pillow. Ryuu couldn't resist taking a picture, even if it made Kitty look at him with disapproval. The image of _his_ cat getting cosy in his bed was just too heart-warming to miss out on.

Having taken enough pictures, Ryuu sat down next to Kitty, gently scratching behind his ear.

“I'll look for a new flat soon. And then you'll get a proper scratching post and your own little bed,” Ryuu told him, eliciting a soft purr from the cat. “I'm honestly so glad that I can keep you, you know? I've always liked cats, but I've never had to work that hard to make one like me. It felt like an accomplishment when you let me pet you for the first time. And now you are mine.”

 

That night, Ryuu fell asleep watching TV with a cat on his lap.

The next morning, Ryuu woke up on his sofa with a strange man sitting on the floor in front of the TV, wearing Ryuu's clothes.

“Wha– Who?” Ryuu stammered, blinking rapidly, thinking that maybe he was hallucinating.

“Hello, Tanaka-san,” the stranger said, his furry black ears twitching on top of his head. “Thanks for taking care of me these past weeks.”

Cat ears. He had cat ears.

“I– What? Who _are you_?” Ryuu blurted out, almost falling off of his sofa as he sat up.

The stranger sighed. This time around, Ryuu noticed a tail – _a cat tail_ twitching on the floor. “My name is Ennoshita Chikara. You've been calling me Kitty, though.”

Ryuu's jaw went slack.

“Kitty?!” he exclaimed, jumping up to have a look around the room. “Kitty! Come out? Are you hiding under the sofa again?” he asked, dropping down onto the floor to check.

Ennoshita laughed, a soft giggle that made goosebumps rise on Ryuu's skin.

“I'm a little too big in this form to fit under your sofa, I'm afraid,” he said, flashing a smile with teeth that looked too sharp to be entirely human.

“This form?” Ryuu asked weakly, getting up to sit down on the sofa again. What was even going on anymore?

“I'm a cat shifter,” Ennoshita said. “Let me demonstrate.”

A sudden, blinding flash of light enveloped Ennoshita's form and then he was gone, leaving behind a heap of clothes. From the clothes, a black cat emerged. It had yellow eyes and the glossiest, softest fur Ryuu had ever touched in his entire life. Basically, it looked exactly like the cat Ryuu had been hoping to keep as his pet.

Whatever was going on right now, Ryuu wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't a dream.

 

***

 

“Holy fuck,” Tanaka-san said, slack-jawed. Chikara couldn't really blame him. Most people were unaware of cat shifters, and Chikara's kind generally preferred to keep it that way. In this case, however, Chikara thought that it would be a bit of a dick move to leave Tanaka-san in the dark. He'd shown so much genuine concern for Chikara and grown so attached that he'd even considered moving just so he could keep his “Kitty”. Chikara couldn't bring himself to just up and leave.

“You can turn into a human,” Tanaka-san said, disbelieve still colouring his tone. “Or is it the other way around?”

Chikara would've loved to tell him that all of this didn't really matter, but as long as he was a cat he couldn't speak. It seemed to him that he had miscalculated. If he changed back into his human form now, he'd end up sitting stark naked in Tanaka-san's living room. Usually, he wouldn't think too much about being naked around other guys. Unless he had a thing for them. And he really had a thing for Tanaka-san.

Chikara had been out on a stroll when he'd seen a guy give out treats to the stray cats in the neighbourhood. Chikara had never been too fond of most commercially available cat foods, so he hadn't felt the need to join the regular cats that were rubbing up against his legs. At least until he saw the young man's smile. For someone who was wearing a leather jacket and ripped jeans, giving off that typical bad boy feel, he'd been surprisingly cute. It reminded Chikara of that age-old cliché of the delinquent who rescues kittens in the rain, and it was oddly endearing. With his curiosity piqued, Chikara would take a detour on his way home from work to sit on a garden wall and watch this man interact with the neighbourhood cats. Chikara hadn't expected for him to take notice of the black cat that was watching him almost every evening. Chikara also hadn't expected for him to be so persistent about wanting to pet him. But he was cute, and when he'd actually showed up with a proper can of tuna instead of those icky cat treats, Chikara finally caved and let the guy pet him.

It had been stupid, really, trying to get closer to a human while in his cat form, but Chikara would've never been brave enough to just talk to a stranger. Instead, Chikara had opted to simply enjoy the man's company without having to fear rejection. That was until he'd sprained his wrist at work, which ultimately resulted in Chikara being basically abducted.

If there was one good thing that came out of Chikara living with this guy for two weeks, it would be that Chikara had learnt a lot about the object of his curiosity but also about himself. For one thing, he'd found out his name when the receptionist at the pet clinic had taken his details. More importantly though, Chikara had learnt that Tanaka Ryuunosuke was an absolute dork who oscillated between feeling the need to prove his manliness and crying at cheesy romance films. He was loud and boisterous at times and sweet and caring at others. And Chikara had a huge crush on him. The kind of crush that he hadn't had in years; one that went beyond liking a guys looks and smell and that made Chikara feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, there was the physical attraction, too, but more than anything, Chikara craved Tanaka-san's proximity and affection.

And there was no way around having Tanaka-san see him naked at this point, so Chikara decided to just get it over with.

He closed his eyes, focusing on his human form, and shifted. The process wasn't painful, just weirdly disorienting. When Chikara opened his eyes again, they were way higher up, owing to his considerably larger human body. And if Chikara wasn't mistaken, Tanaka-san was checking out that human body.

“Let me put these clothes back on real quick,” Chikara mumbled, pulling on the t-shirt and trousers he'd snagged from Tanaka-san's closet before the guy had woken up.

“Oh my god, I almost had a vet _castrate you_!” Tanaka-san suddenly exclaimed, making Chikara flinch at the memory.

“Yeah, I'm glad Sugawara-sensei noticed I'm a shifter,” Chikara muttered, sitting down cross-legged on the floor again.

“Holy shit, I'm so sorry,” Tanaka-san apologised, his cheeks turning bright red. “Oh my god, this is the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. Why... why didn't you change back and leave earlier?”

“The splint,” Chikara explained. “I couldn't shift with that thing on my leg. Also, it would've been incredibly rude to get your hopes up about getting to adopt a cat, and then... running away.”

Tanaka-san laughed, relaxing back against the cushions of the sofa. “Damn. Thank you for being so considerate of my feelings.”

Chikara shrugged awkwardly, his tail swishing over the floor. “It's nothing. Thanks for taking care of me, even if it wasn't really necessary. I'd already seen a doctor about my sprained wrist before you took me to the vet.”

“Doctor?” Tanaka-san mused. “Are there doctors who know about... people like you?”

“Most doctors and vets are aware of our existence, yes,” Chikara confirmed. “We're also registered with the government.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

Tanaka-san seemed to bounce back from the shock rather quickly. Not that Chikara was going to complain. This was preferable to Tanaka-san freaking out and distancing himself from Chikara.

“Well, I should get going,” Chikara said. “My friends are probably worried about me since I dropped off the face of the earth for two weeks.”

“Oh, right,” Tanaka-san said. The same disappointed pout appeared on his face that he'd worn whenever Chikara had ignored the treats. “Damn, I kinda liked having you around. Looks like I'm going back to being lonely at night.”

Chikara was tempted to just turn back into a cat so Tanaka-san wouldn't see his blush.

“Bye then,” he said and was about to close his eyes and shift again, but Tanaka-san suddenly jumped off the couch yelling, “wait!”

Frozen in shock, Chikara stared at Tanaka-san.

“I just, er... I'm going to see you again, right?” Tanaka-san asked haltingly.

“I... I could hang around the usual spot if you wanted me to,” Chikara replied.

“As... as a human?”

Chikara was surprised at how straightforward Tanaka-san could be sometimes.

“Wouldn't that be... weird? I slept in your bed and all,” Chikara mumbled. He shouldn't be getting his hopes up, but his heart was beating heavily in his chest, reminding him of just how bad this crush had become over the last two weeks.

“It's not like I minded,” Tanaka-san said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and at Chikara's heartstrings. “I'd like to talk to you again.”

“Okay. I'll... I'll see you tomorrow then,” Chikara said and pointed at Tanaka-san's front door. “Could you open that for me once I've shifted?”

“Of course!”

With that, Chikara turned back into a cat, disentangled himself from Tanaka-san's clothes and left through the door Tanaka-san held open for him, resisting the urge to brush up against those nicely toned legs on his way out.

 

***

 

“Why didn't you tell me he was a shifter?” Ryuu asked as soon as he stepped through the doors of the clinic and saw Suga-san leaning against the reception counter, flipping through what seemed like a massive amount of paperwork.

Suga-san didn't even look up from what he was reading.

“I take it that 'Kitty' properly introduced himself to you?” Suga-san asked, completely ignoring Ryuu's accusation.

“Ennoshita Chikara,” Ryuu corrected him, setting all the things he'd borrowed from Suga-san down in front of him. “I treated him like a cat, Suga-san. I cuddled with him. _We slept in the same bed_.”

“Is he as handsome in human form as he is as a cat?” Suga-san asked, finally pushing aside his paperwork and looking Ryuu in the face. Ryuu didn't like that grin. Not in the least.

“He's gorgeous, Suga-san!” Ryuu exclaimed.

“I don't see where the problem is then,” Suga-san said, shrugging. “A handsome guy shared a bed with you out of his own free will.”

That was the problem, though. Ryuu had no idea how much of Ennoshita's affectionate behaviour he could attribute to the guy trying to act like a cat. A lot of Kitty's behaviour started to make sense now that Ryuu knew that he'd been interacting with a shifter all this time – his dislike of most cat foods, his discomfort at being brought to a vet – but others had suddenly become very confusing. Why had Ennoshita been watching him from that garden wall in the first place? Why had he eventually lowered his guard and let Ryuu pet him? Why had he cuddled up to Ryuu on the sofa? Why had he _joined Ryuu in bed_? Was there a deeper meaning behind all of this? Or had he just resigned himself to his fate of being stuck as a cat and acted accordingly?

But Suga-san was not the right person to ask about these things unless Ryuu wanted to give the guy even more ammunition to make fun of him in the future.

“Well, here's all the stuff I borrowed from you,” Ryuu said. “I should probably leave you to your work.”

“Call me if you ever get anywhere with your cat,” Suga-san said, grinning.

“We'll see,” Ryuu said, waving goodbye.

 

***

 

Kinoshita almost fell off of his chair in a fit of laughter, his fluffy tail twitching in amusement.

“You... almost got... _fixed_ ,” he repeated, wiping tears from his eyes once the laughter had mostly subsided. “You owe your continued fertility to that vet.”

“I am aware,” Chikara sighed, defensively folding his arms in front of his chest. “Are we done laughing about my almost-misfortune now? Because I really need to figure out what I can give Tanaka-san as compensation for taking care of me these past two weeks.”

“Your body,” Kinoshita suggested, flashing his sharp teeth in a wide grin. Chikara deliberately ignored that statement and turned to face Narita, who had finally finished preparing their tea.

“Please tell me that you have an actual suggestion.”

Narita shrugged, his grey ears twitching with uncertainty as he joined his boyfriend and Chikara at the table.

“I mean, he likes cats, right? So maybe you could get him a cat plushy or something.”

“He's not a teenage girl.” Chikara rolled his eyes and picked up his cup of tea. It was nice and hot in his palms, perfect for warming up after having had to walk home in the cold.

“How about a nice bottle of wine or sake then?” Narita suggested.

“Hm... That might work,” Chikara mused, staring into the depths of his cup. He would've preferred giving Tanaka-san a more permanent gift, something he could remember Chikara by, but maybe that would be coming on too strong.

“How's your wrist doing by the way?” Kinoshita asked. “Did it at least heal properly while you were stuck being a cat?”

Chikara took a sip of tea before setting down the cup so he could carefully move his wrist around. There was no lingering pain at least.

“I should probably make an appointment with my doctor before going back to work,” Chikara said.

“You should,” Narita agreed.

 

Sitting on the garden wall, Chikara felt incredibly out of place. He rarely went outside in human form, unless he needed to go to the shops or to work. But he had made a promise with Tanaka-san, and he wouldn't have been able to carry the bottle of sake he'd bought as compensation in cat form either. And so he sat and waited, shrinking in on himself whenever a strange human passed him by.

“Ennoshita-san?”

In his surprise, Chikara almost fell backwards into the garden on the other side of the wall. This was why he hated having to wear his hood up. It didn't simply hide the ears as it was supposed to, it also drastically reduced their usefulness, which was highly inconvenient. Tanaka-san was walking up to him with a bright smile on his face.

“Hi,” Chikara said once he regained his balance. Swiftly, he jumped down from the wall and held out the gift bag with the sake bottle in it. “Here's a little something for taking care of me.”

Tanaka-san frowned, taking the bag and looking inside.

“That really wasn't necessary,” he said, wide-eyed.

“You paid for the... vet fees.” Chikara shuddered at the memory. “Not that taking me to see a vet was even necessary... But you also fed me and took care of me, so...”

Tanaka-san bowed exaggeratedly, a wide grin on his face.

“Well, I accept your gift, but only if you are going to drink this with me,” he said, the mischievous undertone in his voice making Chikara's tail twitch with nerves. Tanaka-san _was_ flirting with him, right? He wasn't reading too much into this, was he?

“You _can_ drink alcohol, right?” Tanaka-san asked when Chikara didn't reply immediately.

“I can. Thanks for inviting me,” Chikara said hastily.

“Let's get going then!” Tanaka-san exclaimed happily.

 

“How come I've never heard about people like you?” Tanaka-san asked after the third cup of sake, his eyes fixed on Chikara's ears. “It's not like... a government secret or something?”

“Nah, we're just private and like to keep to ourselves,” Chikara explained, sipping at the sake and letting it linger on his tongue as he thought about how to explain this to Tanaka-san. “When humans started encroaching on our ancestors' territory, they struck up a deal with them. Humans were allowed to take our old hunting grounds, but in exchange, the Japanese government had to protect us. There is a separate boarding school for shifters in almost every prefecture, and the government explicitly keeps us out of the regular primary and secondary school curriculum. The only people who really have to learn about our existence are government workers, doctors and vets.”

Tanaka-san hummed, his long fingers drumming a rhythm against the low living room table where they'd made themselves at home.

“Do all shifters turn into cats?” he asked, his curiosity seemingly endless. But Chikara was happy to indulge. The cat was out of the bag anyway.

“There are other types, but they are not as common,” Chikara said. “Where do you think people got the idea for tengu and werewolves and such?”

“That makes sense.” Tanaka-san chuckled, leaning forward on his elbows. “So I'm basically talking to a creature of legends, huh... You're pretty tame for a yokai.”

That smile was too much for Chikara's drunk brain. Tanaka-san was more handsome than any human had the right to be. Chikara had barely ever been as attracted to a guy of his own kind as much as he was to Tanaka-san, and emboldened by alcohol, Chikara let himself get carried away. He mirrored Tanaka-san's pose, bringing their faces closer together across the small table.

“I can be rather feisty in certain... intimate situations,” he said, batting his eyes at Tanaka-san. The reaction he got was a gasp and an almost instantaneous blush.

Tanaka-san cleared his throat and licked his lips. “Can... can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” Chikara said, unable to take his eyes off of Tanaka-san's mouth.

“Why... why did you decide to join me in bed when you were stuck being a cat? Was there a deeper meaning behind it?”

Chikara didn't like being reminded of how embarrassingly he had behaved during that time. Looking back on it, it had been stupid to sneak into Tanaka-san's bed that first night. It had just been so tempting and cosy...

“I was just... seeking warmth,” Chikara admitted, but he didn't expect Tanaka-san to visibly deflate and pout at that statement.

“So it wasn't because you liked me...”

“No! I mean...” Chikara was torn between wanting to comfort Tanaka-san by telling him the truth and being embarrassed about admitting that he fell for someone who wasn't even the same species as him. In the end, however, his desire to see Tanaka-san smile again won out.

“I do like you,” Chikara said quietly. “And it felt nice to have an excuse to be closer to you.”

Tanaka-san stretched out his hand, carefully brushing his fingers over Chikara's cheek. Involuntarily, Chikara leant into the touch, his heart hammering loudly in his chest. Being touched in cat form was so different from being touched in human form. Grooming another cat or having a human scratch behind his ears while he was a black furball was one thing, but being touched so gently when he was human... It was special because it barely ever happened.

“This is probably going to sound way weird,” Tanaka-san said, cupping Chikara's cheek in his palm, “but although I've only talked to you twice, I feel like I know you really well. You're kinda shy and withdrawn, but also so... strong. And determined. You know what you want and don't want. And I like that about you.”

And then Tanaka got on his knees. Holy shit. Chikara was done for. He closed his eyes and tilted his head in anticipation, waiting for Tanaka-san's lips to touch his. Instead, he felt them press against his forehead.

“We're not doing this drunk,” Tanaka-san said determinedly. “You deserve better than that.”

Chikara wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry at that statement.

“C'mon, at least kiss me properly,” Chikara huffed. “I'm not going to regret that tomorrow. I promise.”

“Fine,” Tanaka-san relented with a smile. Their first kiss was short but sweet, and Chikara barely managed to keep himself from purring in delight.

“Again?” he asked, feigning innocence, but Tanaka-san saw right through him.

“You _are_ as feisty as a yokai,” he said, shaking his head and sinking back down onto the floor. “We can continue this tomorrow.”

“So you wanna meet up again?” Chikara asked eagerly.

“I was rather hoping that you'd stay the night. There's always space for you in my bed, whether as a cat or as a human. But only cuddles. No making out until we're both sober again. I want to be able to savour every second of the experience.”

A bunch of butterflies were fluttering in Chikara's stomach at the thought of sharing a bed with Tanaka-san again.

 

***

 

When Ryuu had spotted that pretty black cat for the first time, he would've never expected it to turn out to be able to shift into a mostly human form. But here he was, waking up with a cat shifter pressed again his back, arms and fluffy tail slung around Ryuu's waist. There was a faint headache pulsing in his temples, but the feeling of a warm body so close to him was more than enough to soothe his hangover. Carefully, so he wouldn't wake his sleeping companion, Ryuu turned around to face Ennoshita. His triangular ears were twitching as he slept, his soft lips drawn into an adorable pout. Ryuu couldn't help but sigh fondly at the memory of last night. That kiss, and then the soft, slightly slurred conversations as they crawled into bed together – it had been perfect on so many levels.

When Ennoshita finally blinked his eyes open, Ryuu greeted him with a smile.

“Good morning, Kitty,” he said, earning himself an immediate swat with Ennoshita's tail.

“Can I finally get those make-outs you promised?” Ennoshita asked sleepily, and Ryuu couldn't help but laugh before he indulged him.

This was way better than petting stray cats.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on [Tumblr](http://gilrael.tumblr.com) and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/Gilrael)
> 
> EDIT: Anya did it again ;_; [ Look how beautiful they are!!](http://celadonhearth.tumblr.com/post/180542228076/happy-birthday-to-gilrael-heres-catenno-and-a)  
> EDIT: [Any drew even more cat-shifter!Enno!!](http://celadonhearth.tumblr.com/post/181387006550/happy-holidays-gilrael-this-is-actually-the)


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